The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #587 Dec. 27, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

===================================
In This Issue
===================================

1. No More Passwords

2. Best of 2011 Publicity Tips

3. Free Photos, Fast

4. Include Links on Twellow

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site

=====================================
1. No More Passwords
=====================================

What makes you different from everyone else–your voice, your eyes,
etc.–will be used to safeguard your identity online and you’ll
never need passwords again.

That’s one of five predictions that IBM made last week, to signal
innovations it sees in 2012. Its annual predictions have been
covered by top-tier media outlets like Forbes magazine, FOX News,
The Washington Post and The New York Times, in addition to dozens
of techie blogs.

It isn’t too late to compile your top five predictions for next
year, or even just one prediction, and write a press release. Or
pitch it to your favorite blogger. You can even offer to write a
guest blog post.

Your predictions don’t have to be serious. They can be humorous and
off the wall.

Predictions are just one of thousands of ideas I give you in my
ebook, “How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound.” This is the Number
One all-around resource to get you through 2012 if you need help
promoting in traditional media and social media.

Learn more about the book here:
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm

=====================================
2. Best of 2011 Publicity Tips
=====================================

If you know a small business owner who’s struggling with promotion,
a PR pro who’s running out of story ideas for her clients, or a
nonprofit that needs to ramp up its publicity, let them know about
my free ebook, “The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week
of 2011.”

It’s filled with 24 of the best tips from this newsletter the past
year.

The tips are divided into four categories:

–Traditional media

–Social media

–Online publicity

–Building your business and nonprofit

Go ahead. Regift the book by sending your friends, followers and
clients here:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9935

======================================
3. Free Photos, Fast
======================================

Need photos for your website, blog, online press room or marketing
materials, but can’t afford the stock photo services?

Thousands of free photos await you on Flickr at
http://www.Flickr.com, under the Creative Commons license. Problem
is, it can be a real pain navigating that site to find them.

Instead, use Compfight.com, a search engine that uncovers
Creative-Common-tagged freebies in the Flickr archives. There’s
even a search box so you can find what you’re looking for quickly.

But don’t just use them without crediting the photographers. Pay
attention to the terms of use for each photo.

Thanks to CopyBlogger.com for this tip.

For more tips, see “How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity
Campaign” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm

=====================================
4. Include Links on Twellow
=====================================

If you’re listed on Twellow, the giant Twitter yellow pages (and
you certainly should be), you can now display the links to your
other social networking profiles on your Twellow profile.

Log into Twellow and click on the “Settings” link. You can now
display links for Facebook, Delicious, Flickr, LinkedIn, and many
more. This is a great way for your friends and future Twitter
followers to see your social networking activity on the web.

Still not tweeting? It isn’t too late. If you’re confused by what
all the fuss is about, or if you’re on Twitter but can’t gain
traction, shorten your learning curve by watching the replay of a
webinar I hosted on “Twitter for Beginners: A Step-by-Step,
Can’t-Fail System for Experts and Influencers (and Those Who Want
to Be).”

I explain how to use Twitter to establish your credibility,
influence your followers, share great content and attract the
types of people who need your expertise as well as your products
and services. Read more about what you’ll learn how to do
at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes
/twitterforbeginners.htm

======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================

This week’s “Help This Hound” question is from Anne Roos of South
Lake Tahoe, CA:

“I’m an author and I’ve received 40 free books from the publicist I
used last year, 20 copies each of “The Musician’s Guide to Brides:
How to Make Money Playing Weddings” and “The Brides Guide to
Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable.”

“They were copies supplied without cost from the publisher to be
sent out for review. Since I didn’t pay for them, I want to do a
giveaway.

“What’s the most effective way to do a contest/giveaway? Where do I
post it to get it noticed? Should it be a quiz with a question of
the day? Should it be some kind of silly trivia? I just don’t know
how to attract people to a little contest.

“Even when I had a big grand prize giveaway that I tried out about
a year ago, it garnered very little interest. I’d love ideas from
your Hounds on how to really attract attention with this.”

The Publicity Hound says: OK, Hounds, have at it. Help Anne
generate the most publicity possible for this book giveaway. Post
your best ideas to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9991

====================================
6. Hound Photos of the Week
=====================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans of Plano, Texas for these
photos of the 10 Weirdest Dog Toys. My favorite is the red lips!
Go to http://www.oddee.com/item_97297.aspx

Dog Jokes & Quotes Ebook: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few good
laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best
websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================

10 best Dog Tweets listed each week here
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10006

——————————————-

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict
anti-spam policy at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #586 Dec. 20, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

===================================
In This Issue
===================================

1. Best of 2011 Ebook

2. Add Skills to Your LinkedIn Profile

3. Guest Host a Radio Show

4. Thanks for Completing My Survey

5. Master Facebook Changes in 3 Steps

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Best of 2011 Ebook
=====================================

Your contributions to this newsletter are what keeps me going,
and this is the time of year to say thanks.

Every year, I do that by excerpting 24 tips from the past year,
including some that have generated the most response from
readers, and compiling them into a free ebook.

Here are several ways to use “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week of 2011.”

–Regift it to your friends, clients and business associates.

–Share it on the social media sites.

–Speakers, use my tips in your presentations, and include this
link in your handouts so your audience can download it, too.
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9935

–Authors, use my tips in your books.

–Write a blog post and comment on one or more of my tips, and
please include the link.

–Go to a LinkedIn group and start a discussion on something
within the book.

–Save it to your hard drive, in a safe place, so you can dig it
out in a week or two when you’re creating a strategy for 2012.

For a full list of everything that’s included in the book, go to
my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=9935

=====================================
2. Add Skills to Your LinkedIn Profile
=====================================

One of the items in my “Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” ebook lists six places online where you can find your
profile so you can update it.

One of those is LinkedIn. If you’re editing your profile, it’s a
perfect time to also add skills you might have acquired since you
wrote it originally, or skills you might have forgotten about.

LinkedIn emailed me a few weeks ago and suggested four skills I
should add to my profile.

Why add skills? Because those keywords are what other LinkedIn
users might be typing into the search box when they’re looking
for job candidates, speakers, consultants, coaches, joint venture
partners or news sources.

Wayne Breitbarth, one of the foremost experts on LinkedIn, has a
three-part strategy for creating an influential circle of
contacts who are like gold. He explained it during a webinar I
hosted with him earlier this year. You can access the video
replay at
http://www.publicityhound.com/linkedinpowerformulapart2.htm

======================================
3. Guest Host a Radio Show
======================================

This is the time of year when radio stations are scrambling to
find guest hosts.

And even though chances are slim that you’ll be chosen for the
gig if you don’t have any radio experience, it’s worth trying.
Talkers magazine says the holiday season creates a bonanza of
fill-in work. This year, the Christmas holidays coincide with a
big election cycle, which creates even more pressure to keep
stations on track.

Bill White, program director of WGN in Chicago, says he equates a
fill-in host to someone hosting a dinner party in someone else’s
home.

“Fill-in hosts should be respectful of the regular host’s
audience but not rearrange all the furniture,” he said. “We also
look for fill-in hosts who will be comfortable and compliment the
regular host’s audience.”

Ideal hosts can be politicians, community leaders, or people who
have participated on a talk show. They should feel comfortable
behind the microphone and share similar philosophies of the host.

Interested? Call the program director at your local radio station
and make your best pitch. If the answer is no, they might use you
instead as a guest. Read the entire story in Talkers at
http://www.Talkers.com.

=====================================
4. Thanks for Completing My Survey
=====================================

A big thank you for completing the short survey about what you
need most in the areas of publicity and social media.

I found some interesting trends in the data, and your comments
really helped me understand where you need the most help.

I’m still sorting through it all, but I already have some ideas
about things I can do to make it easier for you.

Let’s get through the holidays first, and I’ll explain more after
the first of the year.

Help is on the way!

======================================
5. Master Facebook Changes in 3 Steps
======================================

Facebook rolled out its new Timeline feature last week. It’s a
chronological listing of posts, photos, shared links, check-ins
and other content.

The changes make it easier for people to scrutinize your life.
But you can personalize, privatize and tweak this new feature.

Wired magazine offers a quick guide on how to hide things on
Facebook, how to tell your life story by adding past events, and
how to customize your timeline–all in five minutes.

Read it at
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/facebook-timeline-tips/

If 2012 is the year you finally start getting series about
pulling people to your page, use Mari Smith’s 33 tips that will
pull them in. She explained them all during a webinar I hosted
with her earlier this year, and when you order the video replay,
you get all 33 tips on a handy cheat sheet. Read more about “33
Ways to Attract Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content & Keep
Them Coming Back for More” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

=====================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
=====================================

Here’s what puppies do on Christmas morning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzyryg1Rn18

Dog Jokes & Quotes Ebook: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================

Great content for retweeting:

24 juicy publicity, social media tips in free “best of” ebook
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9935

Create Top 10, 20, 50 lists for year-end publicity
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9924

Ask visitors who complete a web form to tweet about you
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9894

Blogging cheat sheet and more tweets from this past week
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9905

——————————————-

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #585 Dec. 13, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

===================================
In This Issue
===================================

1. 52 Headline Hacks

2. Heads-Up: Deadline Tonight

3. No-no’s for Nonprofit Publicity

4. Holiday Greetings for Journalists

5. 17 Freebies for Publicity

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. 52 Headline Hacks
=====================================

When it comes to writing headlines, pretend like you never heard
of the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.”

There’s nothing wrong with stealing other people’s headlines. I
do it all the time. So do magazine copywriters. You should too.

We’re stealing formula headlines–the type that force people to
pick up a magazine and head for the checkout counter. Formula
headlines usually have a few words or a phrase which can be
removed and substituted with another that will serve the purpose
of whatever you’re writing. Like this:

–How [Blank] Gamble with Your [Blank]. 7 Ways to Protect
Yourself

–10 Shortcuts for [Completing Tedious Process] in Record Time

–7 Things Your [Target Audience] Needs to Hear You Say

–How to be Smart in a World of Dumb [Group of People]

–What [World-Class Example] can Teach Us About [Blank]

Those five examples are from the free report “52 Headline Hacks–
A Cheat Sheet for Writing Blog Posts That Go Viral.”

Blogger Jon Morrow wrote it. Copyblogger, the popular writing and
blogging site, offered it this morning as its holiday gift to
readers. I want you to have it, too. Even if you don’t blog, you
can use the headlines for articles and press releases.

You don’t need to buy anything. You don’t need to give up your
email address. Just click here and save it to your hard drive:

http://headlinehacks.com/

My annual gift to you, “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s Tips of
the Week” ebook, will be ready for you next week. Share it on the
social media sites and re-gift it to friends and clients.

=====================================
2. Heads-Up: Deadline Tonight
=====================================

You only have until 11:59 p.m. tonight to answer several
questions at http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com.

You only have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to use the $25 coupon
that’s my way of thanking you.

What’s your Number One problem with publicity or social media?
And how can I help?

Publicity Hounds who already have answered those questions are
using their coupon and claiming special reports, CDs, transcripts
and ebooks they’ve been eyeing. They are also eligible to win one
of three $50 Amazon gift certificates. The first two winners are
Publicity Hounds Victor Brodt and Ernie Boxall.

I’m wrapping up the survey tonight and compiling the results
tomorrow. So don’t miss out. Go here now, answer a few questions,
grab your coupon code, and choose the training tools that will
help you most: http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

The third $50 Amazon gift certificate winner will be chosen
tonight when the survey closes. Don’t miss out. Go to
http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

======================================
3. No-no’s for Nonprofit Publicity
======================================

Your mailbox is probably overflowing with appeals from nonprofits
this time of year, when you’re feeling most generous.

Nonprofit marketing expert Sandy Rees says these two themes are
showing up repeatedly in direct mail pieces, press releases and
pitches to the media. And they’re a big turn-off:

–What your organization needs. Nobody cares that you’re short-
staffed. The public doesn’t give a hoot about your high utility
bills. And stop grumbling about a lack of volunteers.

–The bad economy. The constant “woe is us” mantra gets very old,
very quickly. And it won’t endear people to your cause. Forget
about the bar charts showing the big difference in donations at
this time last year compared to this year.

Instead, concentrate on the almost-guaranteed strategy that will
force donors to dig into their pockets for money, and compel
journalists to cover you.

Tell a compelling story of how your nonprofit has changed lives.
It might be a rags-to-riches story about one of your clients. Or
a hero-of-the-day profile of one of your volunteers who made a
big difference.

For more nonprofit publicity tips, including an easy formula for
profiling and finding your ideal donors, access the video replay
of a webinar I hosted a few months ago with Sandy, “Failproof
Publicity Tips for Cash-strapped Nonprofits to Raise Money,
Recruit Volunteers & Promote a Worthy Cause”:
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/nonprofitpublicity.htm

You can use your $25 coupon. (See Item #2 above.)

=====================================
4. Holiday Greetings for Journalists
=====================================

Skip the gifts and food trays.

If you want to say “thank you” to a favorite journalist or
blogger this year, send a holiday greeting card in the mail.
(Email seems too lazy and impersonal.)

This isn’t the time to pitch. But you CAN mention that you enjoy
working with them.

Return to them next month with a story idea, or an idea for a
guest blog post their readers will enjoy.

See “How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity
Explosion” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitch_bloggers.htm

======================================
5. 17 Freebies for Publicity
======================================

If you’re a smart Publicity Hound, you know that the easiest sale
of all is a sale to someone who already knows, likes and trusts
you.

One of the best ways to create loyalty long before a customer
buys from you, or generate fabulous publicity for your business,
is to offer a valuable freebie that ties into your topic. A free
ebook, White Paper, quiz, special report or a calculator can be a
convenient way to enhance your expertise, position yourself as
the go-to expert in your field, and generate free publicity for
your business or nonprofit.

Journalists and bloggers love telling their readers about these
freebies. Readers love getting them, and they’re eager to share
the goodies with their friends and followers on the social media
sites.

When Distribion, Inc. invited me to write a guest post for The
Distributed Marketing Blog, I agreed. It’s a high-traffic blog
for marketers at big companies in regulated industries, and it
gives me exposure to an audience that might not know about me.

You can read the post here and share it at your own blog or on
the social media sites:
http://distributedmarketing.org/2011/12/12/17-fun-freebies-that-
build-thought-leadership-2/

Next week, I’m going to feature a guest post at my own blog from
Deb McAlister-Holland, director of marketing at Distribion,
explaining how she publicizes guest bloggers. It’s fascinating,
and I asked her to write about it. She sure taught this old dog
some new tricks! Stay tuned.

=====================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
=====================================

If you don’t like the thought of stuffing a puppy into a
cardboard gift box, don’t watch this video. But if you want to
see sheer happiness and yelps of joy from the new puppy owners,
check out this “Puppies for Christmas” video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDgh14043dA

Dog Jokes & Quotes Ebook: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================

Piggyback PR onto Baldwin & celebrities behaving badly
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9867

Nominate a newspaper for a notable idea, achievement
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9884

Guest blog post:

17 Fun Freebies that Build Thought Leadership
http://distributedmarketing.org/2011/12/12/17-fun-freebies-that-
build-thought-leadership-2/

——————————————-

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #584 Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

===================================
In This Issue
===================================

1. OK, What’s Bugging You?

2. Attention Amazon Authors

3. Your Own Amazon URL

4. Twitter Tweekly

5. My Gift to You–It’s Almost Here

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. OK, What’s Bugging You?
=====================================

I can hear it in your voice when you call.

You sound frustrated.

At times, you sound lost, like you’re not quite sure where you’re
going with publicity and social media, and sometimes you’re
unsure that you’re even on the right road.

You’ve got success stories to share with other Publicity Hounds,
but they’re hit or miss.

During those weeks when you’re clicking on all cylinders, you
sometimes stall. And it’s usually so difficult to start back up.
So you plod along, all alone.

There’s a better way. I can help.

But to make sure I know exactly what you’re looking for, I need
your input. So I’m asking you to answer just a few quick
questions at http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

To thank you for your time and input, I’ll give you a $25 gift
certificate good for any Publicity Hound product, as soon as you
finish the last question. Consider this your Deal of the Day.

Go here now: http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

Oh, as an additional “thank you,” I’ll also enter you into a
drawing for one of three $50 Amazon gift cards. Now wouldn’t THAT
be a super-cool treat that would make your holiday shopping a
whole lot easier?

Just make sure you give me your email address, so I can contact
you if you win!

Here are the questions:

http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

The quicker you finish, the quicker you can use your gift
certificate.

=====================================
2. Attention Amazon Authors
=====================================

With so many authors formatting their books for the Kindle, I
want to remind you about Amazon.com’s Author Central.

It’s a page on Amazon just for you, so you can tell them a little
about yourself, promote your expertise, and tell them about your
books. You can list your website addresses, too. But the links
aren’t live. That’s because–duh–Amazon wants you to stay on the
site and buy.

As soon as you sign up for Author Central, you can start adding
content to your page, even though it can take from three to five
days for the page to show up on the site.

You can learn all about Author Central at
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help

Warning: Authors write some of the dullest, most boring bios on
earth. Don’t you be one of them.

See “Special Report #46: Tips for Rewriting Your Boring Bio.” I
show you how to find great materials for your bio, share examples
of some of the best bios I’ve read, and explain how to
incorporate key events from your childhood that will make your
writing come alive. All for only $10. Order at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-
products/reports.html#SpecialReport46

======================================
3. Your Own Amazon URL
======================================

Thanks to Publicity Hounds Anne Roos (the Celtic harpist) and Bob
Baker (the indie music PR guy) for tipping us off to this new
Amazon feature that authors will love.

If you sell books on Amazon and you’ve already created a page for
yourself using Amazon’s Author Central (see item above), you can
now have a customized web address or your profile.

A simple URL makes it a lot easier to share the link on your
Facebook page, in a tweet, in your email signature, and on
marketing materials.

You’re limited to only one URL but you can use any combination of
letters, numbers, dashes, periods and underscores.

You’ll find detailed instructions on how to claim it at
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?ie=UTF8&topicID=
200799660

=====================================
4. Twitter Tweekly
=====================================

I love the way art marketing expert Alyson Stanfield updates her
blog readers on all the content they’ve been missing if they
don’t read her Twitter feed.

Every Friday, she publishes a post titled “Twitter Tweekly.” It’s
a simple list of her favorite tweets from that week, with links.

I’ve started doing that, too, though I wouldn’t dare steal her
fun title. The list reminds my readers who subscribe to the RSS
feed that they need to follow me on Twitter. It also flags
readers who might have found out about me for the first time by
coming to my blog through one of the search engines.

You can see Alyson’s latest Twitter Tweekly here:
http://www.artbizblog.com/2011/12/tweekly-19.html

Here’s mine:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9838

Notice how the blog promotes Twitter and this newsletter promotes
the blog. If you have a blog and an ezine, there are dozens of
ways you can use them to cross-promote. The blog pulls in
traffic. Once you can capture the reader’s email address, you can
use it to push out your message with an ezine.

That pull-push cycle is an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
Don Crowther explained all the ways you should be using them in
tandem when he was my guest during the teleseminar “How to use
Blogs & Ezines Together to Grow Your Business.” Read more about
it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/blogs_and_ezines.htm

======================================
5. My Gift to You–It’s Almost Here
======================================

How would you like to be able to help your clients, boss and
friends with publicity, and look like a hero when they show up on
the front page of the local business journal or on TV?

Give them my free ebook, “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s Tips
of the Week of 2011.” It’s chock full of more than two dozen
publicity and social media tips that will have their tails
wagging.

Each year, I comb through every item in this newsletter, pluck
out the 24 or more that received the greatest response from
readers, and compile them into an ebook that makes a valuable
holiday gift for Publicity Hounds on your list.

The book will be ready for you on Tuesday, Dec. 20, and you’ll
read about it here. Stay tuned…

=====================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
=====================================

Dread trimming the tree this year?

You’ll find some inspiration in this video, courtesy of Publicity
Hound Kathleen Mahan of San Juan Capistrano, CA. Watch how these
clever four-legged Hounds trim their own tree. One even climbs up
on a ladder. If they can do it, we two-legged Hounds can do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUtPKbMwnRo

Dog Jokes & Quotes Ebook: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================

How to piggyback PR onto top consumer trends for 2012
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9846

Fast Company tips and other tweets from this past week
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9838

——————————————-

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

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=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound